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A Dhammapada for Contemplation is a version of the Buddhist classic, the Dhammapada; it is not a line-by-line translation but a free rendering that aims to communicate the living spirit of the text, unencumbered by rigid adherence to formal exactness. The intention of the author, Ajahn Munindo, was to present a contemporary version of the text for readers to use in their investigation of the Way.

The Atthakavagga is a collection of short sutras of which some might precede Buddhism itself. In the Buddhist scholarly tradition Atthakavagga have been placed in a subdivision of the Sutta Nipāta, a section of teachings brought directly as they were orally given by the Buddha. This version is the handwritten, but still easy to read, and most recent English translation by Pannobhasa Bhikku from 1999. Atthakavagga is highly concerned with concepts such as non-attachment and it is here we see the first examples of paradoxes as a means of teaching in Buddhism.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a manuscript more than 3.o00 years old. It was carved in 12 tablets by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia. More of the stories in Gilgamesh have close relationship to the Christian Bible. For example the Garden of Eden and Noah´s Flood seems to derive from the Epic of Gilgamesh. It has also inspired Homers works, parts of the Iliad for instance.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is more than 3.000 years old and it is an original source of the Hebrew Bible

Ajahn Chah was a master at using the apt and unusual simile to explain points of Dhamma in a memorable way, sometimes to answer questions, sometimes to provoke them. He was especially talented at exploiting the open-ended nature of the simile—in which some similarities are relevant and others are not—using a particular image to make one point in one context, and a very different point in another. This book is a companion to In Simple Terms, an earlier collection of similes drawn from Ajahn Chah’s transcribed talks. Here, the majority of the passages come from a compilation made by Ajahn Jandee Kantasaro, one of Ajahn Chah’s students, entitled Khwaam Phid Nai Khwaam Thuuk (What’s Wrong in What’s Right). The title of this compilation is taken from a phrase that Ajahn Chah often used to describe the misuse of correct knowledge. Ajahn Jandee, in his introduction, illustrates the principle by telling of a man he once encountered who used the teaching on inconstancy to justify the fact that he never cleaned his truck. Read more

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is one of the oldest Upanishads, it is estimated that it was compiled about 2.700 years ago from much older, now lost, material . Brihadaranyaka Upanishad means “Upanishad of the great forests” and it centers around the fundamentals of the Atman, Soul or Self. It is in the Brihadaranyaka we first see the written conceptualization of Karma and non-duality. The work consists of six chapters dealing with such comprehensive themes as the Vedic theories of the creation of the Universe to metaphysical, spiritual and psychological matters.

Parayanavagga or The Way to the Beyond is a controversial part of the Pali Canon, some of the earliest known written Buddhist texts. Research indicates that Parayanavagga might even be the oldest part of the Pali Canon. The suttas is a record of conversations between the Buddha and sixteen Brahmin meditaton masters which resulted in their awakening. Parayanavagga is radical in the sense that it stresses the overall importance in non-attachment to all views and ideas, and at the same time it rejects asceticism. This is the fourth way of Theraveda Buddhism, one could be led to think, since the texts describes spiritual transformation as a process out folding in the midst of everyday life of the practitioner. Read more

Stories of Norse Gods And Heroes by Annie Klingensmith consists of 20 chapters, each a story from the Norse mythology. The stories are translated from the original source, the Icelandic Eddas, which were compiled in the 13 century from much older written and orally transmitted material. The book has some fine illustrations and a vocabulary and it is a good and readable introduction to the Norse mythology. Read more

The lion incarnation of Vishnu, Narasimha kills the demon Hiranyakaśipu

The Bhagavata Purana, literally meaning Divine-Eternal Tales of The Supreme Lord, is considered the most important of the Puranas. The Puranas are belived to be compiled by Vyasa, the narrator og Bhagava Gita, whose birth is dated at 3374 BC. The Puranas, along with the Vedas and Itihaasas form the massive religious bedrock of the Hindu tradition. They go back in time to perhaps more than five millenia. In The Bhagavata Purana concepts like Advaita, Yoga, Bhakti and Dharma are introduced. Download the English translation here (111 pages/1.3 MB):

Asoka or Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from 269 BCE to 232 BCE. He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged. The Kalinga war, had reportedly resulted in more than 100,000 deaths. Ashoka thereafter regarded Buddhism as a doctrine that could serve as a cultural foundation for political unity, and he initiated a series of Buddhist missions the far corners of his kingdom. This translation is done by Anandajoti Bhikkhu in 2012 and a lot if it has never been translated into English before, and it expand on the original story with new information. The story begins with Asoka’s birth, and follows his life through to his appointment as vice-sovereign in Avanti, his murdering of his 99 rival siblings and his ascendancy to the throne. His conversion is figured here with his initial dissatisfaction with the Brahmans his Father had supported, and the deep impression a young Buddhist monk makes on him. Having gained faith in the Buddha’s Dispensation, he quickly becomes one of its greatest supporters, building 84,000 monasteries in honour of the 84,000 sections of the Teaching and giving his children for ordination. The emphasis in the story then shifts away from Asoka and on to the various Missions, and especially to the one which was led by his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka. The story in this translation is brought to a close with the deaths, first of Asoka, then King Devanampiyatissa, followed by the Arahats Mahinda and Saṅghamittā and the other missionaries who followed them on their journey.

The Path to Happiness by Chubten Chodron is a collection of Dharma talks held during several years at the Jade Buddha Temple in Houston, Texas. The talks are straight forward. Chodron speaks on a level that is practical and easy to understand. She relates her Dharma talks with real-life experiences, using examples from her own life. She is able to break through religious barriers, for what she speaks of cannot be limited to any one religion. It is helpful to any and all seeking to develop a heart of loving kindness.

The Complete Works of Sister Nivedita. Sister Nivedita was a devotee of Swami Vivekananda. She had Scots-Irish origins and came til India as a social worker in 1898 where she met Swami Vivekananda who gave her the name Nivedita (meaning “Dedicated to God”). She became close with Vivekananda and also with Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of the mystic Ramakrishna and one of the major influences behind Ramakrishna Mission and also with other brother disciples of Swami Vivekananda. She died on 13 October 1911 in Darjeeling. During her stay in India she wrote 12 books on different topics from dharma and education to politics, but all of them referring to Hinduism and mysticism. All her books and other writings are here collected in the five-volume collected works.

Sister Nivedita wrote 12 books on different topics from dharma and education to politics, but all of them referring to Hinduism and mysticism. All her books and other writings are here collected in the five-volume collected works.

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